germany peaked when they made great mercs like this the rest of is the story of explaining next generation about what germany was at some point and what they made in the glory days
@@nigelb6262 That was lowly S280, surprised it built up enough speed to cause that carnage. The wreck is still about and stored in a shipping container in an old storage yard just outside Paris. The French government claimed it and the owner never got it back or got a penny for it. He even took them to court but lost as you'd expect.
I used to work with a lad that had a V8. I always used to laugh at him saying how much has it cost you to get to work but he assured me it was always worth it. He used to say ‘ You can either buy a car or buy a Mercedes Benz’. He was probably right.
As the owner of 2 W140 (aka C140) S600 coupes, I can verify that they are marvelous cars. The biggest issue they face is deferred maintenance, because of the cost of repairs. Only W140s up to around 1996 suffered from the bad wiring loom insulation. 1996 also brought in the 722.6 5 speed tranny (big improvement) in the S600, zenon headlights, and a different electronic engine management system. The S600 you drove should have had the adjustablle lower seat cusion to provide more support for the thighs. It slides back and forth separate from the back rest, and also tilts separately. The S600 orthopedic seats also had 4 airbags for lumbar support and two for the side bolsters, also the bladders themselves tended to disintegrate over time. But wwhen working properly, they are wonderfully comfortable. The S600 V12 itself is basically mechanically bulletproof. Inattention to ancillary systems cause the only real issues. The suspension on every W140 is very complicated, and regular checks of bushings is required. If properly maintained, to include the pneumatic spheres for the real suspension helps maintain a wonderful ride. Lack of attention to engine and transmission mounts also can affect noise and harshness. Thanks for the review.
not C ,that is the E-class deignation as i have one coupé but 3.0L engine C124, the car was released as a 600 SEC V12 that i own one and it´s a pleasure to drive and feels better than the BMW 850 V8 that i also own, but it was known as either than 600SEC, after in 96 they started to call it CL600 ,S600 coupés isn´t a series and the four door car V12 there are many engines in the CL or SEC coupés from S-class i have them since the 60´s ,more acurate the 65 280SC, also you refer a problem that i never had and still waiting for anything to fail in it only make the maintenace, either than this nothing else, so a never ever problem car you are the one who have a defective version, that happens in all brands
I was under the impression that the S600 was equipped with 4 speed 722.3 tranny throughout its life span. 722.3 was the most robust tranny Merecedes has ever made.
@@RUfromthe40s I don't know why, but I never liked that particular generation of S-class based coupes. The 80's SEC was elegant and impressive, the 2000's one was again extremely elegant, but the 90's SEC/CL just didn't look right...bit unbalanced design-wise. BUT... it did age like wine, you learn to appreciate it for more than just its design as time passes by.
My beloved dad owned a 1998 S600 he bought it when it was 6yrs old. It was his last car and his best. I got to drive it a few times, smoothest most comfortable car I’ve been in! Way ahead of its time and better built than most of the modern junk
He died just recently, 19 September 2024 (aged 90, which is pretty nice). RIP. I've been driving Mercedes for 25+ years, so I think that he had a hand in the style of at least some of them.
the S600 was a perfect car at the time and built like they used to, the reason why i never understood the accident where princess Diana was killed ,didn´t add up in such a car with a higher safety than most of the cars today, still a Daimler-Benz
@@seaman-vy7mzunless pneumatic also, could the front and back seats, steering wheel and all 3 mirrors come out to that number? Windows and sunroof too but those are most likely to be pneumatic. Windscreen & headlight wiper motors.
Daily drive my W140 S600 here in Detroit and just love it. Added a W140 coupe to my collection 2 years ago and just love having both of them. The sedan when taking friends along to dinner and then the coupe (call it my German Eldorado) as my personal car. 6'8" man here and just love the head, knee, shoulder room these giants provide.
Mercedes had originally planned a 540 PS 8-litre V16 for this car. It had completed the entire development and test phases with a large test fleet, ready to be launched. Some 85 cars of this 800 SEL model were built. Due to the backlash and criticism at launch, Mercedes-Benz decided not to put it on the market. To me, this is the last "Grosser Mercedes". Not the S-Classes or Maybachs after it.
@@SBT300 Actually, there indeed was going to be a "V16" battle around this time. Look into BMW's V16 Goldfish 7-Series test ride and it's story, VW/Audi was working on a W16 and even Cadillac was tinkering around with V16's behind closed doors with the strong possibility of production. As a matter of fact, Cadillac made a few concept cars promoting the V16. Mercedes had it's W18 idea drawn up by combining three 2.6L Inline-6's with two configurations(Also, because 18 is 2 more than 16 :b). The first would've been a simpler, 2V head model making 490HP. The 2nd would've likely been used in high-performance applications with 5V heads and was looking at 680HP. Both well over BMW and most of Audi/VW's planned engines, Cadillac could've been an interesting wild-card and Bugatti might've done things differently too had the V16 wars kicked off.
It’s a tank of a car but imagine if it were electric the weight of it would be a literal tank.They were built really well back then before it went the accountant route 😊
These cars were meant for high speed runs on the German autobahns . I drove a S320 in 1995 at high speed and it cornered and tracked the road like a locomotive on rails . Wonderful piece of engineering at the time .
3:10 exactly! In '92 I saw one for the first time at a MB dealership as a teenager, over 30 years later I'm still very impressed by the dramatic lines of the W140 series
These (and various Brabus W163 models) were apex pimp cars in Bosnia during the economically and politically interesting decade after the Dayton Peace Accords. When I see a W140 (impressive as they are) I see a slightly sweaty, shaven-headed would-be Al Capone speeding along the various hoghways out of Sarajevo. They tended not to be patient with slower traffic.
I bought and sold over 3000 as a car dealership owner. From Bentley to Rolls Royce to Ferrari to Lexus to BMWs. Always went back to w140s. Such a special cae and presence it does have. After 20 years of not owning some, I went and bought 2 w140s Last year 1999 S600 And 1997 S500 sitting in my garage next to one another. W140 👍
The first nice car I ever purchased - a brand new 1992 500SEL. Every option available (including the pop up rods on the rear fenders). I drove that car for 10 years / 225k miles. No real issues beyond regular maintenance. Traded it for a new Audi which I absolutely hated. Wish I still had that beautiful blue beauty.
Jack, during your test I saw that the LCD panel of the a/c was cloudy: tell the owner to very gently rub the panel with a finger left to right and right to left. The LCD panel should get back to life
There’s a certain purity, simplicity & elegance to the W201/W124/W140’s, and also the E36/E34/E38 BMW’s & B4/C4/D2 Audi’s. The interior & exterior designs were all so clean and purposeful. Beautiful symmetry and perfect use of horizontal lines. There was no trying too hard or doing anything without reason. Just “this is how we’re doing it, because it makes the most sense.” Thankfully, Porsche seems to have recaptured this philosophy in their 992 generation.
Yes, indeed, Bruno Sacco's designs always had a strong, unmistakable Mercedes identity with a purity of line. He introduced two design principles: horizontal homogeneity, which refers to a link between all models in the lineup, and vertical affinity, which refers to a connection with its predecessors.
My first car was a 1995 S 500 that I bought in 2010 with 107,000 miles for $6,000. I loved that car but all of its problems ate all of my money as a high schooler and I had to sell it for a pittance after about a year and 10,000 miles. I loved showing off the non-functional car phone and reclining rear seats, power rear sun shade, all of the gizmos. The double glazed windows made everything so quiet. I felt like a boss pulling out the switchblade key when leaving school. I still miss that car to this day but she was certainly high maintenance. A new problem every couple of weeks or so.
I had a 280 version in 1990 and it was phenomenal….i did long trips to southernmost France and Germany and it was always reliable and was extremely comfortable and quiet….some say it was underpowered but it never felt like it….I also had the previous version and the later S class but this version certainly felt the best….
I remember I used to hate the design of the W140, I found it less attractive than the previous generation which I still saw a lot when I was just a kid, but nowadays, I have become a sucker for the bombastic charm these overengineered tanks with a three-pointed star have. As someone who has a hankering for everything classic or from my own youth (surprisingly most of that stuff is now also a classic :( ... ) I've come to love the W140 more and more over time.
The only reason it was hated in Germany was the fact that it was to big to fit on the train to Sylt, which is Germanys rich mens island. That and the Kohl era image.
@@S.1-1-1-1-1No, they build a dam to connect the Island to the mainland. On this dam is a railroad service. Since it’s a very narrow dam, the maximum width of car transport train cars was limited. That limited the maximum width of cars shipped by those train cars. The S class exceeded that limit.
@@S.1-1-1-1-1 You can read it up in Spiegel magazine 08/30/2020. Mercedes had to develop folding mirrors to solve the issue. It’s about the train. There is also a ferry but the ferry wasn’t the issue.
The 6 cylinder model got worse gas mileage than the V8s because they weren't powerful enough to pull all the weight around. Still a beautiful Mercedes-Benz to this day. Great video as always!
For me, this is peak Mercedes-Benz. I am currently the proud owner of two W124's, a 1991 300D and a 1987 300D Turbo, but I can't die without owning one of these one day...
@@omostim2385 well starting in the w115 in 74 it had been decreasing the building quality but still better than any other brand, only stoped buying them in the 2000 year
@@MolotovAustralia yes, check it if you don´t believe it, some the body went to the ground wrotten while the car still worked perfect ,this a 220 from 68 w114/8, if kept in a garage it still was driving at it still does but the body seems to be at a lower point, when it arrives to the wheels, no go, but i have a eraly 60´s also with the 220 gasoline engine ,what today is called E-class that is perfect and never restored while some opf my w123 are wrotten but still have some in very good condition a 220D from 74 sold at the same time of the last w115 body with the tinier w123 body, also a mint 200D from 81, with all extras itr looks and works like new also a 81 bought in Germany 300 turbo-diesel and and a regular 300D all automatic except the gear box as i´,m still phisically able to drive a car , this last two are the ones with bigger w123 body, also was ofered in 89 a beige 240 TD this from a Mercedes worker , dutch that is a friend of mine,now that he´s retired he´s living in the country side 50kms from my home ,"it´s sunny all year around" he said and when in 2017 he moved ,ofered me a w201/2 new from 89 ,190E 2.0 but as automatic gear box so i drive it only in old dirt roads, but it was stored new and revised in a Mercedes garage
I owned an S clas of each model from 1965 till 1994; that was the W 111 & W108( 6 cyl.), w116, w126 and w140 all in 8 cylinder versions; honestly I don't favour anyone over the other; if I were to go back in time, I would still buy all 4 of them. I currently drive my 111 fintail and I love it. never driven any of the models after 140.
My favorite car since I was a kid. Growing up in Saudi Arabia all the Caprices, Patrols, Cressidas, Land Cruisers, and older W126s had to part ways for this car. I always hear about Sacco saying the car was too tall and its overall reception being that it’s too ostentatious. In the modern world it doesn’t look all that big anymore. My W220 feels practically small on the roads in Texas.
Mates dad had a 600 down here in Australia. We would take it out all the time. What a car.... I'd love one today. I'd have any engine.. Love the style of it.. and quality
Back in the past whenever you would see cars like this or a Bentley or Aston you would always think the owner must be really important like a CEO type guy or gal but these days whenever you see a Merc or a Bentley you just wander what they are paying on their monthley payments.
I drove an S320 inline six for a bit. You're right - nothing has the same road presence. Probably the best-engineered car I've ever been behind the wheel of.
I love how the coil on plugs sandwich beautifully between the intake plenums so they are serviceable (as well as the plugs) without removing the intake manifold.
To me it still is the most elegant, overall best S-Class ever. Worth mentioning, the Maybach 57/62 still was based on its chassis, a testament to how good it was (albeit for such an ultra-luxury car an all-new chassis would have been a better choice).
The big problem (for me anyway) at launch for the W140, was that it’s predecessor, the W126 was such a complete (and very handsome) car that anything that followed it would need to be extraordinary. And, although the W140 was brilliant in terms of engineering, it just doesn’t have the presence of a W126.
It does. W140 is way more impressive and massive. Sure it's not as beautiful. The C126 especially is so good looking. But this represented completely different approach.
My German boss when I worked in Brussels in the early 90s had one; always chauffeured. Got to travel in it now and again, mainly 10k trips to the airport and back! Wealthy status / hierarchy type organisations (I.e. all of them) almost had to have one at the top. Next guy down got the E-Class, then C-Class etc, etc. Solid motor though.
A clarity about the lack of messaging - quite interesting way to say it ! Never drove these and I really though they were quite ugly back then but now they look more sensible. My favorite was always the 450 SEL 6,9 but …it’s really old by now and the best ones are expensive by now, so this might be a a better buy financially and more comfortable.
I worked for an MB dealer when these were new, yes they handled amazingly well but the tyres and suspension bushes paid the price. Tyres and upper suspension arms on first service? Customers weren't happy.
These are absolutely magnificent cars, far better ride quality than a W126 but pretty scary with all those luxury electronics. I'd had four W126's then I owned two of these and they were different class. Both 5 litre V8's , a '93 silver coupe and a '97 dark blue saloon, so I saw both ends of the production run. Bought them in 2013 and 2015 respectively, both with around 125,000 miles on them when they were right at the bottom of the price curve. Paid less than a grand for the coupe and £1500 for the saloon. Great days and a nice reminder to me of how nice these cars were.
He says it wasn’t quite a BMW 7 Series. He was absolutely right! The W140 S-Class was hands down better in every single way! And still is to this day. BMW will never know what being number one feels like.
I’ve tried for a long time to get into these cars and just can’t seem to do it. Each time I drive one I become slightly more narcoleptic. I feel as if I am more of a captain of a ship than a driver of a car and it just doesn’t float my boat, pardon the pun. As a former German automotive shop service manager, I concur that they are indeed very nicely built, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have massive repair bills as you pointed out. The seven series BMW of this generation was definitely more engaging to drive, but it also had the pitfall of potentially massive repair bills. The Audi, A8 was also more interesting to drive and was built to a high standard although it had potential pitfalls as well, mainly the transmission. You roll your dice and take your chances as they say. As for me, the dice pointed to the Audi D2 S8 which I am pleased to say, has been a virtually trouble free ownership. Knock on wood. (Aside from being hit by an inattentive teenager in a Jeep.) I would still rather drive a Mercedes, BMW or Audi of this generation then virtually anything new in terms of longevity and cost of ownership outside of warranty. The modern counterparts are going to turn into unmanageable hot messes on wheels long before their predecessors do.
I have a 1993 W124 E320 in Colombia. It has now done 107,000 miles - only just run in!! It was sold new in the US and came here in its first year of life. There are similarities between the 124 and the 140 in appearance - particularly inside. The Bruno Sacco connection is obvious. But of course there's a world of difference between a 6 litre V12 and a 3.2 litre straight six. Another similarity is the possible existence of deferred maintenance issues and it's taken us 2 years to really find someone here who is interested and capable. He has a 1987 W126 500SEL. But the car is slose to being properly sorted now and at almost 78, it will probably be the last car I own. A fitting end to 6 older MB's in NZ between 1978 and 2010 when I went ocean sailing on my vintage timber yacht to SE Asia. It had a 55 yr old Fordson 60hp diesel and hardly ever missed a beat. I am sold on older quality machinery; cannot stand all this new computerised lower quality stuff Notwithstanding that the later 124's and the 140's had a degree of computerisation.
I had the car in his time, to drive it sporty you have to shift manualy witht the automatik, esp. in city traffic. No D just 2 or 3, but this let the fuel consumption explode. A customer of mine had paid 6 million less in taxes and went to prison for a year for every million he paid. He then had difficulty paying my bills. As compensation, I got his car during the time. He was then also employed by my company, so he was allowed to leave prison to work between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. His driving license was also suspended during the time, so he couldn't drive a car. From an s600 to a bus... and I went from a 300TE to an S600.
i hate him for his fake reviews of best cars and even reviews of non existing models that are a creation in 2010 to misslead people, to buy a classic when called GTV to a salad of two bodies and two diferent finshinghs aplied at the builder taste as i have a GT and two GT juniors and a real 76 GTV with the control panel in the midle of the dash and only the R.P.m. counter in front of the steering wheel, that´s the never existed car, 2000 or 1750 like in my GT and rally car GTA, i colect them
@@kfkwAL7 AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHH!!! i´m refring to number27 channel, he knows nothing about cars he critisises, or is it his thing?everybody has a thing, i have GT´s GT juniors and GTV but not what he calls GTV is but a mix of GT and GT juniors ,chaeck Alfa-Romeu museum in Italy and find a GT being called GTV
I remember on highway in early 90ies, I was at 130 kmh. A w140 v12 in front, we overtake a truck and, with the road clear, she simply disappeard without a noise. Incredible.
That V12 noise had some undertones reminiscent of a vintage Lamborghini at mid-high revs (I'm thinking Espada), and the high pitched starter motor noise is all 1964 Ferrari 330! ❤ Didn't expect these "Easter Eggs", kudos to the Mercedes engineers!
Awesome vehicles! I just sold my W140 but I am still a fan. The only downside is you need big pockets or mechanical skills to own one today. Many parts are discontinued which is a shame for Mercedes and the plastics are getting brittle from age. Other than that very great vehicles. I miss mine in my garage and on my channel.
This is absolutely the King of S-class (save the old Pullman era). Although the design is blocky by today's standards it's still completely timeless because this car became an icon. No other S-class has the same presence, not even close.
I have W140 V12 Lorinser. It is absolute beast in every way. Exhaust sound is amazing. That car is the king of the autobahn! Safety is, also, perfect. If you hit or are hit at very high speeds, you want to be inside one of those. UA-cam has many videos where other cars just bounce off W140.
I prefer the early W140 ones. The design is more pure and clean. 34 years, the numbers offered by the V12 could be exciting but nowadays I prefer a V8 or even a 6 cylinders. Less weight in the front axle, which can improve road handling. Also, I rather prefer the velour interiour (the very last S Class to have it!), way more confortable than the leather ones. It marks the pineacle of MB for me, onwards the qualitty dropped too much.
The type of car where it'd be great to see an original [from new] owner interviewed on this channel. Guessing most would have been 'company' cars, in the UK?
What a car, thank you for the video. Have you seen that Effspot video where he spends $12k on an exhaust that makes it sound exactly like a 90s V12 F1 car? Pretty epic.
I have an S320 Carlson. Nice drive, slightly underpowered but smooth, until you encounter small bumps when it crashes. My 500SEC C126 did the same. I also have a C219 CLS which is so much better sorted in the suspension department but nowhere near as good in terms of build quality
best car on the planet , I was living in Germany back in early 90’s when w140 came out , friend of mine was a designer at the Porsche , and w140 was built at the Porsche factory , so he was invited to come on the ride before they even got released for sale , he came back from that ride and his jaw was on the floor , he couldn’t stop talking about it .. I owned many Mercedes , among which was w140 S320 and it was a fantastic car , recently I had GLC 300 which was great , and GLK350 which I loved , but traded it for Porsche Cayenne, which I still have , I also have w222 S550 which is fantastic car , V8 biturbo , 449hp , that thing just freaking flies like a F16 … Mercedes is a glorious car , and with regular service and maintenance it will run for many hundreds of thousands of miles
Now and then, a manufacturer will produce a car which is just brilliant, easily the best in class and the best of its lineage, relative to its time and the competition. The W140 S-Class is one of those cars. I remember when it was launched, it moved the game on massively. And it was the last S-Class which had great build and quality.
In about 2000, I was picked up in Munich in an S600 to drive to Würzburg. The driver was a spoilt young man but he could handle that beast. On the Autobahn 250kms/hour was his cruise. Every time, he was forced to slow for traffic, he would wait for it to clear and then gun the magnificent V12. In those moments the guttural, throaty power of the beast left my stomach behind as it climbed back onto the cruise. Utterly unforgettable. That evening, the young guys Father with a knowing look, asked, how was the drive with Horst? We both fell about laughing. No words necessary.
The W140, in today's Straßenbild (compared to the Behemoth physical size of todays'... vehicles) is physically a *perfect* size. Hence it lost the only feature that (back in 1991) spoiled its greatness - as, originally, it was perceived as vulgarly, obscenely sized & footprinted. It is only now in the 2020s, that Sacco's genius can truly shine, deprived of the size preconceptions this car inherited from its launch year. Eventually, Sacco lived to see this interesting development with his own eyes (just). Never has sheer heft felt so sophisticated as in this case. Probably a prime example of an era when Engineers shaped the products and Accountants were firmly leashed. A class act, in any language.
I really liked that car until I heard Bruno Sacco admitting he'd made a faux pas in its design by designing too-high a roof line on the w140... resulting in the car being too tall. I cannot refrain from noticing this ever since. I still love it though but much prefer the w126
Actually he designed it to be a few inches less tall. However the chief project engineer and another at Mercedes insisted he design it taller because they were both over 6ft 3iches tall themselves. So Bruno had to oblige. Hence why the car also became a little longer than the w126 and also a little bit wider. That way tallness of the car was made to seem like it never happened. And later (first face lift) the car was also lowered slightly to further help its taller appearances seem less so.
@garrettdodson6110 You are right. Further research proved your point. I think they were wrong implementing a higher roof line though. The w140 would have looked so much better had it had windows a 2 inches lower. Other cars were designed with tall people in mind, like the Citroen Cx prestige. And France's 6 foot 4 inches tall De Gaulle was very happy in the back of his Ds. Yet both those cars enjoy considerably better lines - honest personnal opinion.
My grandfather had a black W140 S420. Then he replaced it with a W220 S500 and sold the W140 to my father. I will always remember that car fondly. It felt like riding in a luxury bank vault. These cars really don't fit with the way I drive and yet somehow, W140 S600 limos always call to me...
This was some professional's "dream car" when new. And, it is hard to imagine needing anything more than this car offers, even today. I love this generation S-class. I also love that there are no cheap looking tft displays, nor i pad looking junk tacked to the dash. Real gauges, no picture crap!
I always preferred the W126. The W140 was more competent but less enjoyable. For me, W126 was the last model to give a sense of occasion - every drive becomes an event. I would almost say the w140 was too good.
It was supposed to be the star of the 1991 Geneva Motor Show, at launch. But it was upstaged by an unexpected Bentley Continental R. Fantastic S class though.
The Bentley Turbo R and the Continental have something that a Mercedes will never have. This big Merc is a perfect vehicle for third world dictators and their dodgy business acquaintances. A Bentley is for a better class of rich man who has made his wealth in a slightly less dishonest manner.
@@philhawley1219 I once rented a room from an automotive engineer who told me the reason for that; going back at least as far as the 600 in the 1960s, the top of the line Mercedes were always made with the ability to take full armour plating and still work properly (which you can't do in something like a Ford Granada, for example; when they tried to armour plate a Granada the doors wouldn't even close). If you're a dictator or anyone else with a target on their back and a price on their head, that's going to be very important to you.
I remember there being the problem that it would not fit in the average german garage. There was also some class action in the US because customers were unhappy with the car. Great car
My LS430 equivalent similar to MB has been the finest built car I have ever driven today. Paid 11k for lexus in 2017. Did brakes and timing belt spark plugs, (at 90k) what lexus advised, flawless car!
Bmw E38 has elegance of S 124 but 140 has presence, in my country it has name Slon on english Elephant, gratings from ex Yugoslavia state Crna Gora = Montenegro
Don't know why anyone would drive the W140 four-door version, except if they are a chauffeur. Different story with the C140 coupés - these have a strange kind of charm.
![Lp. Сердце Вселенной #60 РОЖДЕНИЕ ЛОЛОЛОШКИ [Финал] • Майнкрафт](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/YoR0pAV9FVQ/mqdefault.jpg)
This car is for sale.. if you’re interested please contact Andrew : learmonda@hotmail.co.uk
germany peaked when they made great mercs like this the rest of is the story of explaining next generation about what germany was at some point and what they made in the glory days
also you didn't mention that this is the Diana death car
@@nigelb6262 ah yeah truely iconic
@@nigelb6262 That was lowly S280, surprised it built up enough speed to cause that carnage. The wreck is still about and stored in a shipping container in an old storage yard just outside Paris. The French government claimed it and the owner never got it back or got a penny for it. He even took them to court but lost as you'd expect.
@@nigelb6262 Died In A Nasty Accident.
My doctor drives an s500 from this same era. If you mention his car, you'll never get to tell him what you actually came to see him about 😂
Seems your doctor made a lot of people sick, sorry to say, but that's purely how it works since this medicine was launched.
I used to work with a lad that had a V8. I always used to laugh at him saying how much has it cost you to get to work but he assured me it was always worth it. He used to say ‘ You can either buy a car or buy a Mercedes Benz’. He was probably right.
His name .. Kim Jong Il
He was right.
he was and l have, 4 times now. very happy with my purchases.
You can either buy a Merc-and be a 🔔 end, or buy a Lexus for reliability, or a Jaagggg for style….
“Mercedes: Because you’re a wannabe twat” 🤣
@@newblackdog7827 word
As the owner of 2 W140 (aka C140) S600 coupes, I can verify that they are marvelous cars. The biggest issue they face is deferred maintenance, because of the cost of repairs.
Only W140s up to around 1996 suffered from the bad wiring loom insulation. 1996 also brought in the 722.6 5 speed tranny (big improvement) in the S600, zenon headlights, and a different electronic engine management system.
The S600 you drove should have had the adjustablle lower seat cusion to provide more support for the thighs. It slides back and forth separate from the back rest, and also tilts separately. The S600 orthopedic seats also had 4 airbags for lumbar support and two for the side bolsters, also the bladders themselves tended to disintegrate over time. But wwhen working properly, they are wonderfully comfortable.
The S600 V12 itself is basically mechanically bulletproof. Inattention to ancillary systems cause the only real issues.
The suspension on every W140 is very complicated, and regular checks of bushings is required. If properly maintained, to include the pneumatic spheres for the real suspension helps maintain a wonderful ride. Lack of attention to engine and transmission mounts also can affect noise and harshness.
Thanks for the review.
not C ,that is the E-class deignation as i have one coupé but 3.0L engine C124, the car was released as a 600 SEC V12 that i own one and it´s a pleasure to drive and feels better than the BMW 850 V8 that i also own, but it was known as either than 600SEC, after in 96 they started to call it CL600 ,S600 coupés isn´t a series and the four door car V12 there are many engines in the CL or SEC coupés from S-class i have them since the 60´s ,more acurate the 65 280SC, also you refer a problem that i never had and still waiting for anything to fail in it only make the maintenace, either than this nothing else, so a never ever problem car you are the one who have a defective version, that happens in all brands
also 140 as the model before was the w126, not sure now ,i have more than 96 cars in my colection from diferent brands and mercedes are around 30
@@RUfromthe40s CL600 is an amazing car but regarding maintenance costs and too much problems that hell on wheel
I was under the impression that the S600 was equipped with 4 speed 722.3 tranny throughout its life span. 722.3 was the most robust tranny Merecedes has ever made.
@@RUfromthe40s I don't know why, but I never liked that particular generation of S-class based coupes. The 80's SEC was elegant and impressive, the 2000's one was again extremely elegant, but the 90's SEC/CL just didn't look right...bit unbalanced design-wise. BUT... it did age like wine, you learn to appreciate it for more than just its design as time passes by.
My beloved dad owned a 1998 S600 he bought it when it was 6yrs old. It was his last car and his best. I got to drive it a few times, smoothest most comfortable car I’ve been in! Way ahead of its time and better built than most of the modern junk
I love Sacco era Mercedes. They were so imposing.
The 300E was a classic for all time.
He died just recently, 19 September 2024 (aged 90, which is pretty nice). RIP.
I've been driving Mercedes for 25+ years, so I think that he had a hand in the style of at least some of them.
Utter wallowy Teutonic shite 💩! 🤣
Absolutely agree, they have aged so well. The 190 in particular is so intrinsically ‘right’ and has some lovely design touches.
@@JxH all were good till the 2000 year when Daimler left the brand, i never heard such a thing as a bad Merecdes-Benz
I do own a 97 w140 s600. It has 150,000 miles on it. Maintenance is key to making sure it runs right. So far she’s been good.
the S600 was a perfect car at the time and built like they used to, the reason why i never understood the accident where princess Diana was killed ,didn´t add up in such a car with a higher safety than most of the cars today, still a Daimler-Benz
I sold these new in the 1990s in Southern California, very nice paycheck when you did 😎 this car had 83 electric motors 😄
I'd love to see a list of the motors and what they do
So, it's an EV 😂😂
I'm not very sure about the electric motors , since about everything was pneumatically controlled. Or maybe it was different for US ?
@@seaman-vy7mzunless pneumatic also, could the front and back seats, steering wheel and all 3 mirrors come out to that number? Windows and sunroof too but those are most likely to be pneumatic. Windscreen & headlight wiper motors.
Daily drive my W140 S600 here in Detroit and just love it. Added a W140 coupe to my collection 2 years ago and just love having both of them. The sedan when taking friends along to dinner and then the coupe (call it my German Eldorado) as my personal car. 6'8" man here and just love the head, knee, shoulder room these giants provide.
Mercedes had originally planned a 540 PS 8-litre V16 for this car. It had completed the entire development and test phases with a large test fleet, ready to be launched. Some 85 cars of this 800 SEL model were built. Due to the backlash and criticism at launch, Mercedes-Benz decided not to put it on the market.
To me, this is the last "Grosser Mercedes". Not the S-Classes or Maybachs after it.
The 800 was planned as a W18. There was no V16, and there was no fleet. BMW had a V16 test mule.
@@SBT300 Actually, there indeed was going to be a "V16" battle around this time. Look into BMW's V16 Goldfish 7-Series test ride and it's story, VW/Audi was working on a W16 and even Cadillac was tinkering around with V16's behind closed doors with the strong possibility of production. As a matter of fact, Cadillac made a few concept cars promoting the V16. Mercedes had it's W18 idea drawn up by combining three 2.6L Inline-6's with two configurations(Also, because 18 is 2 more than 16 :b). The first would've been a simpler, 2V head model making 490HP. The 2nd would've likely been used in high-performance applications with 5V heads and was looking at 680HP. Both well over BMW and most of Audi/VW's planned engines, Cadillac could've been an interesting wild-card and Bugatti might've done things differently too had the V16 wars kicked off.
The Maybachs were built on the W140 chassis. Benz needed to get some more life out of it.
It’s a tank of a car but imagine if it were electric the weight of it would be a literal tank.They were built really well back then before it went the accountant route 😊
@@ftffighter All very well, but there was no V16 planned for the W140.
Currently rebuilding my late fathers 1991 W140 600SEL. I drive a W222 S500 and W140 has a softer ride and everything works to this day!
Is it genuinely softer on the road? I have tested the w222 but never had the chance to try the w140 so I am genuinely wondering
These cars were meant for high speed runs on the German autobahns . I drove a S320 in 1995 at high speed and it cornered and tracked the road like a locomotive on rails . Wonderful piece of engineering at the time .
3:10 exactly! In '92 I saw one for the first time at a MB dealership as a teenager, over 30 years later I'm still very impressed by the dramatic lines of the W140 series
These (and various Brabus W163 models) were apex pimp cars in Bosnia during the economically and politically interesting decade after the Dayton Peace Accords.
When I see a W140 (impressive as they are) I see a slightly sweaty, shaven-headed would-be Al Capone speeding along the various hoghways out of Sarajevo.
They tended not to be patient with slower traffic.
I bought and sold over 3000 as a car dealership owner. From Bentley to Rolls Royce to Ferrari to Lexus to BMWs. Always went back to w140s. Such a special cae and presence it does have.
After 20 years of not owning some, I went and bought 2 w140s
Last year 1999 S600
And 1997 S500 sitting in my garage next to one another.
W140 👍
The first nice car I ever purchased - a brand new 1992 500SEL. Every option available (including the pop up rods on the rear fenders). I drove that car for 10 years / 225k miles. No real issues beyond regular maintenance. Traded it for a new Audi which I absolutely hated. Wish I still had that beautiful blue beauty.
There's no replacement for displacement! Thanks, Jack!
Jack, during your test I saw that the LCD panel of the a/c was cloudy: tell the owner to very gently rub the panel with a finger left to right and right to left. The LCD panel should get back to life
Also I want to add that I had a 2000 Mercedes SL320 V6 with the same panel and this little trick worked on mine
There’s a certain purity, simplicity & elegance to the W201/W124/W140’s, and also the E36/E34/E38 BMW’s & B4/C4/D2 Audi’s. The interior & exterior designs were all so clean and purposeful. Beautiful symmetry and perfect use of horizontal lines. There was no trying too hard or doing anything without reason. Just “this is how we’re doing it, because it makes the most sense.” Thankfully, Porsche seems to have recaptured this philosophy in their 992 generation.
Yes, indeed, Bruno Sacco's designs always had a strong, unmistakable Mercedes identity with a purity of line. He introduced two design principles: horizontal homogeneity, which refers to a link between all models in the lineup, and vertical affinity, which refers to a connection with its predecessors.
My first car was a 1995 S 500 that I bought in 2010 with 107,000 miles for $6,000. I loved that car but all of its problems ate all of my money as a high schooler and I had to sell it for a pittance after about a year and 10,000 miles. I loved showing off the non-functional car phone and reclining rear seats, power rear sun shade, all of the gizmos. The double glazed windows made everything so quiet. I felt like a boss pulling out the switchblade key when leaving school. I still miss that car to this day but she was certainly high maintenance. A new problem every couple of weeks or so.
I had a 280 version in 1990 and it was phenomenal….i did long trips to southernmost France and Germany and it was always reliable and was extremely comfortable and quiet….some say it was underpowered but it never felt like it….I also had the previous version and the later S class but this version certainly felt the best….
I remember I used to hate the design of the W140, I found it less attractive than the previous generation which I still saw a lot when I was just a kid, but nowadays, I have become a sucker for the bombastic charm these overengineered tanks with a three-pointed star have. As someone who has a hankering for everything classic or from my own youth (surprisingly most of that stuff is now also a classic :( ... ) I've come to love the W140 more and more over time.
The only reason it was hated in Germany was the fact that it was to big to fit on the train to Sylt, which is Germanys rich mens island.
That and the Kohl era image.
Ferry.
@@S.1-1-1-1-1No, they build a dam to connect the Island to the mainland. On this dam is a railroad service. Since it’s a very narrow dam, the maximum width of car transport train cars was limited. That limited the maximum width of cars shipped by those train cars. The S class exceeded that limit.
@@Miguel_Sanchez69 There is also a ferry.
@@S.1-1-1-1-1 You can read it up in Spiegel magazine 08/30/2020. Mercedes had to develop folding mirrors to solve the issue. It’s about the train. There is also a ferry but the ferry wasn’t the issue.
@@Miguel_Sanchez69 30/08/2020, not 08/30/2020.
The 6 cylinder model got worse gas mileage than the V8s because they weren't powerful enough to pull all the weight around. Still a beautiful Mercedes-Benz to this day. Great video as always!
Yep I had a 300SE W126 that was the same, 70 mph was at 3,800 rpm!
my old 98 S420 used the same fuel at 100mph vs 60mph
@@hbhmhbhm 3800 at 70MPH!!!
I expected something as relaxed as 2700 RPM at this speed.
I remember a lot of whining at the launch about the size - i think autocar claimed it blocked out the sun. A beautiful car to drive and be in.
For me, this is peak Mercedes-Benz. I am currently the proud owner of two W124's, a 1991 300D and a 1987 300D Turbo, but I can't die without owning one of these one day...
It’s absolutely peak MB for me too
@@omostim2385 well starting in the w115 in 74 it had been decreasing the building quality but still better than any other brand, only stoped buying them in the 2000 year
That’s the spirit. 😄
@@MolotovAustralia yes, check it if you don´t believe it, some the body went to the ground wrotten while the car still worked perfect ,this a 220 from 68 w114/8, if kept in a garage it still was driving at it still does but the body seems to be at a lower point, when it arrives to the wheels, no go, but i have a eraly 60´s also with the 220 gasoline engine ,what today is called E-class that is perfect and never restored while some opf my w123 are wrotten but still have some in very good condition a 220D from 74 sold at the same time of the last w115 body with the tinier w123 body, also a mint 200D from 81, with all extras itr looks and works like new also a 81 bought in Germany 300 turbo-diesel and and a regular 300D all automatic except the gear box as i´,m still phisically able to drive a car , this last two are the ones with bigger w123 body, also was ofered in 89 a beige 240 TD this from a Mercedes worker , dutch that is a friend of mine,now that he´s retired he´s living in the country side 50kms from my home ,"it´s sunny all year around" he said and when in 2017 he moved ,ofered me a w201/2 new from 89 ,190E 2.0 but as automatic gear box so i drive it only in old dirt roads, but it was stored new and revised in a Mercedes garage
i always call this W140 the 'Kohl-Benz' because German Bundeskanzler Helmut Kohl used a W140.
I owned an S clas of each model from 1965 till 1994; that was the W 111 & W108( 6 cyl.), w116, w126 and w140 all in 8 cylinder versions; honestly I don't favour anyone over the other; if I were to go back in time, I would still buy all 4 of them. I currently drive my 111 fintail and I love it. never driven any of the models after 140.
My favorite car since I was a kid. Growing up in Saudi Arabia all the Caprices, Patrols, Cressidas, Land Cruisers, and older W126s had to part ways for this car. I always hear about Sacco saying the car was too tall and its overall reception being that it’s too ostentatious. In the modern world it doesn’t look all that big anymore. My W220 feels practically small on the roads in Texas.
Mates dad had a 600 down here in Australia.
We would take it out all the time.
What a car.... I'd love one today.
I'd have any engine..
Love the style of it.. and quality
Back in the past whenever you would see cars like this or a Bentley or Aston you would always think the owner must be really important like a CEO type guy or gal but these days whenever you see a Merc or a Bentley you just wander what they are paying on their monthley payments.
I drove an S320 inline six for a bit. You're right - nothing has the same road presence. Probably the best-engineered car I've ever been behind the wheel of.
I love how the coil on plugs sandwich beautifully between the intake plenums so they are serviceable (as well as the plugs) without removing the intake manifold.
To me it still is the most elegant, overall best S-Class ever. Worth mentioning, the Maybach 57/62 still was based on its chassis, a testament to how good it was (albeit for such an ultra-luxury car an all-new chassis would have been a better choice).
W140 design is timeless.
100% 😍
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣. Hideous from all angles.
@@AlfaGTA156 you only get to say that due to your user name.....
The big problem (for me anyway) at launch for the W140, was that it’s predecessor, the W126 was such a complete (and very handsome) car that anything that followed it would need to be extraordinary. And, although the W140 was brilliant in terms of engineering, it just doesn’t have the presence of a W126.
It does. W140 is way more impressive and massive. Sure it's not as beautiful. The C126 especially is so good looking. But this represented completely different approach.
Yeah the w140 had an even more imposing and commanding presence.
@@detonator2112 huge is not presence but w116 had even more.
@simonhodgetts6530 yes I thought it was a bit bland/ derivative looking at the time.
To overcomplicated. Modern vehicles are more complicated again. The w126 is perfect because of it's timeless simplicity
My German boss when I worked in Brussels in the early 90s had one; always chauffeured. Got to travel in it now and again, mainly 10k trips to the airport and back! Wealthy status / hierarchy type organisations (I.e. all of them) almost had to have one at the top. Next guy down got the E-Class, then C-Class etc, etc. Solid motor though.
I have to take issue: The w126 is the most iconic and most successful S-Class ever made; prettier too.
That’s subjective
agreed. much nicer car
More elegant though
Agreed. And it was the last of an era of excessive build quality over silly features.
A clarity about the lack of messaging - quite interesting way to say it ! Never drove these and I really though they were quite ugly back then but now they look more sensible. My favorite was always the 450 SEL 6,9 but …it’s really old by now and the best ones are expensive by now, so this might be a a better buy financially and more comfortable.
I worked for an MB dealer when these were new, yes they handled amazingly well but the tyres and suspension bushes paid the price. Tyres and upper suspension arms on first service? Customers weren't happy.
I was 11 when these cars came out. I still love them. The ones with the bigger engines move quickly
The long wheelbase versions are cruise liners on wheels. One turned up at a local petrol station. People came out of their houses to stare at it. :)
These are absolutely magnificent cars, far better ride quality than a W126 but pretty scary with all those luxury electronics.
I'd had four W126's then I owned two of these and they were different class.
Both 5 litre V8's , a '93 silver coupe and a '97 dark blue saloon, so I saw both ends of the production run.
Bought them in 2013 and 2015 respectively, both with around 125,000 miles on them when they were right at the bottom of the price curve. Paid less than a grand for the coupe and £1500 for the saloon.
Great days and a nice reminder to me of how nice these cars were.
He says it wasn’t quite a BMW 7 Series. He was absolutely right! The W140 S-Class was hands down better in every single way! And still is to this day. BMW will never know what being number one feels like.
Absolutely. You only need to look at how many 7 Series are left from that era are left on the roads.
The BMW 7 series is the car of choice for small-time drug dealers who live in apartments. It was that way in the 90s. It’s that way now.
A friend of mine has the S280. It has a rare presence about it, inside and out. Special
I’ve tried for a long time to get into these cars and just can’t seem to do it. Each time I drive one I become slightly more narcoleptic. I feel as if I am more of a captain of a ship than a driver of a car and it just doesn’t float my boat, pardon the pun. As a former German automotive shop service manager, I concur that they are indeed very nicely built, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have massive repair bills as you pointed out. The seven series BMW of this generation was definitely more engaging to drive, but it also had the pitfall of potentially massive repair bills. The Audi, A8 was also more interesting to drive and was built to a high standard although it had potential pitfalls as well, mainly the transmission. You roll your dice and take your chances as they say. As for me, the dice pointed to the Audi D2 S8 which I am pleased to say, has been a virtually trouble free ownership. Knock on wood. (Aside from being hit by an inattentive teenager in a Jeep.)
I would still rather drive a Mercedes, BMW or Audi of this generation then virtually anything new in terms of longevity and cost of ownership outside of warranty. The modern counterparts are going to turn into unmanageable hot messes on wheels long before their predecessors do.
We had 1 drove from Stutgart to Istanbul n much more......n on autobahn few cars passed us .....bliss
I have a 1993 W124 E320 in Colombia. It has now done 107,000 miles - only just run in!! It was sold new in the US and came here in its first year of life. There are similarities between the 124 and the 140 in appearance - particularly inside. The Bruno Sacco connection is obvious. But of course there's a world of difference between a 6 litre V12 and a 3.2 litre straight six.
Another similarity is the possible existence of deferred maintenance issues and it's taken us 2 years to really find someone here who is interested and capable. He has a 1987 W126 500SEL. But the car is slose to being properly sorted now and at almost 78, it will probably be the last car I own. A fitting end to 6 older MB's in NZ between 1978 and 2010 when I went ocean sailing on my vintage timber yacht to SE Asia. It had a 55 yr old Fordson 60hp diesel and hardly ever missed a beat.
I am sold on older quality machinery; cannot stand all this new computerised lower quality stuff Notwithstanding that the later 124's and the 140's had a degree of computerisation.
Brilliant, I'll look forward to watching this later, Jack.
I had the car in his time, to drive it sporty you have to shift manualy witht the automatik, esp. in city traffic. No D just 2 or 3, but this let the fuel consumption explode.
A customer of mine had paid 6 million less in taxes and went to prison for a year for every million he paid. He then had difficulty paying my bills. As compensation, I got his car during the time. He was then also employed by my company, so he was allowed to leave prison to work between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. His driving license was also suspended during the time, so he couldn't drive a car. From an s600 to a bus... and I went from a 300TE to an S600.
Maybe this S600 was not everyone's cup of tea- but everybody loves Number 27.
i hate him for his fake reviews of best cars and even reviews of non existing models that are a creation in 2010 to misslead people, to buy a classic when called GTV to a salad of two bodies and two diferent finshinghs aplied at the builder taste as i have a GT and two GT juniors and a real 76 GTV with the control panel in the midle of the dash and only the R.P.m. counter in front of the steering wheel, that´s the never existed car, 2000 or 1750 like in my GT and rally car GTA, i colect them
@@RUfromthe40sare you ok ?
@@kfkwAL7 not that good, thanks for asking?
@@kfkwAL7 AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHH!!! i´m refring to number27 channel, he knows nothing about cars he critisises, or is it his thing?everybody has a thing, i have GT´s GT juniors and GTV but not what he calls GTV is but a mix of GT and GT juniors ,chaeck Alfa-Romeu museum in Italy and find a GT being called GTV
I remember on highway in early 90ies, I was at 130 kmh. A w140 v12 in front, we overtake a truck and, with the road clear, she simply disappeard without a noise. Incredible.
That V12 noise had some undertones reminiscent of a vintage Lamborghini at mid-high revs (I'm thinking Espada), and the high pitched starter motor noise is all 1964 Ferrari 330! ❤ Didn't expect these "Easter Eggs", kudos to the Mercedes engineers!
Used to see a builder in West London in the 2000s who used a S500 as is work car, scruffy and boot full of kit, what a way to travel
Awesome vehicles! I just sold my W140 but I am still a fan. The only downside is you need big pockets or mechanical skills to own one today. Many parts are discontinued which is a shame for Mercedes and the plastics are getting brittle from age. Other than that very great vehicles. I miss mine in my garage and on my channel.
This is absolutely the King of S-class (save the old Pullman era). Although the design is blocky by today's standards it's still completely timeless because this car became an icon. No other S-class has the same presence, not even close.
The absolute vulgar Teutonic wallowing shite 💩! 🤣🤣🤣🤣
I have W140 V12 Lorinser. It is absolute beast in every way. Exhaust sound is amazing. That car is the king of the autobahn! Safety is, also, perfect. If you hit or are hit at very high speeds, you want to be inside one of those. UA-cam has many videos where other cars just bounce off W140.
I had a 400se from 1992 and it was a dream for long distance drives. It really was superlative build quality...
I prefer the early W140 ones. The design is more pure and clean.
34 years, the numbers offered by the V12 could be exciting but nowadays I prefer a V8 or even a 6 cylinders. Less weight in the front axle, which can improve road handling.
Also, I rather prefer the velour interiour (the very last S Class to have it!), way more confortable than the leather ones.
It marks the pineacle of MB for me, onwards the qualitty dropped too much.
The type of car where it'd be great to see an original [from new] owner interviewed on this channel. Guessing most would have been 'company' cars, in the UK?
Impressive car. In my country, the Netherlands, the W140 is called 'The cathedral'.
What a car, thank you for the video. Have you seen that Effspot video where he spends $12k on an exhaust that makes it sound exactly like a 90s V12 F1 car? Pretty epic.
😍 The OG zonda engine
I'm planning to make some exhaust headers for mine 😁 in my supercar build 😎
I have an S320 Carlson. Nice drive, slightly underpowered but smooth, until you encounter small bumps when it crashes. My 500SEC C126 did the same. I also have a C219 CLS which is so much better sorted in the suspension department but nowhere near as good in terms of build quality
It was also the first production car with can-bus technology by Bosch.
best car on the planet , I was living in Germany back in early 90’s when w140 came out , friend of mine was a designer at the Porsche , and w140 was built at the Porsche factory , so he was invited to come on the ride before they even got released for sale , he came back from that ride and his jaw was on the floor , he couldn’t stop talking about it .. I owned many Mercedes , among which was w140 S320 and it was a fantastic car , recently I had GLC 300 which was great , and GLK350 which I loved , but traded it for Porsche Cayenne, which I still have , I also have w222 S550 which is fantastic car , V8 biturbo , 449hp , that thing just freaking flies like a F16 … Mercedes is a glorious car , and with regular service and maintenance it will run for many hundreds of thousands of miles
It was good. Very good in fact. Not perfect mind you but the one thing they got right was the driving experience. Nothing feels like a 140.
Now and then, a manufacturer will produce a car which is just brilliant, easily the best in class and the best of its lineage, relative to its time and the competition. The W140 S-Class is one of those cars. I remember when it was launched, it moved the game on massively. And it was the last S-Class which had great build and quality.
In about 2000, I was picked up in Munich in an S600 to drive to Würzburg. The driver was a spoilt young man but he could handle that beast. On the Autobahn 250kms/hour was his cruise. Every time, he was forced to slow for traffic, he would wait for it to clear and then gun the magnificent V12. In those moments the guttural, throaty power of the beast left my stomach behind as it climbed back onto the cruise. Utterly unforgettable. That evening, the young guys Father with a knowing look, asked, how was the drive with Horst? We both fell about laughing. No words necessary.
The W140, in today's Straßenbild (compared to the Behemoth physical size of todays'... vehicles) is physically a *perfect* size. Hence it lost the only feature that (back in 1991) spoiled its
greatness - as, originally, it was perceived as vulgarly, obscenely sized
& footprinted.
It is only now in the 2020s, that Sacco's genius can truly shine, deprived of the size preconceptions this car inherited from its launch year.
Eventually, Sacco lived to see this interesting development with
his own eyes (just).
Never has sheer heft felt so sophisticated
as in this case.
Probably a prime example of an era
when Engineers shaped the products
and Accountants were firmly leashed.
A class act, in any language.
I really liked that car until I heard Bruno Sacco admitting he'd made a faux pas in its design by designing too-high a roof line on the w140... resulting in the car being too tall. I cannot refrain from noticing this ever since. I still love it though but much prefer the w126
Yes, I think I prefer the 126 too.
Actually he designed it to be a few inches less tall. However the chief project engineer and another at Mercedes insisted he design it taller because they were both over 6ft 3iches tall themselves. So Bruno had to oblige. Hence why the car also became a little longer than the w126 and also a little bit wider. That way tallness of the car was made to seem like it never happened. And later (first face lift) the car was also lowered slightly to further help its taller appearances seem less so.
@garrettdodson6110 You are right. Further research proved your point. I think they were wrong implementing a higher roof line though. The w140 would have looked so much better had it had windows a 2 inches lower. Other cars were designed with tall people in mind, like the Citroen Cx prestige. And France's 6 foot 4 inches tall De Gaulle was very happy in the back of his Ds. Yet both those cars enjoy considerably better lines - honest personnal opinion.
Thank god there was no Fiat Uno about.
My grandfather had a black W140 S420. Then he replaced it with a W220 S500 and sold the W140 to my father. I will always remember that car fondly. It felt like riding in a luxury bank vault. These cars really don't fit with the way I drive and yet somehow, W140 S600 limos always call to me...
It took up a lot of road space.
Now with all the SUV it does not look so vast
The "phase three", or final update, got the improved 722.6 five-speed transmissions, which made the 220HP inline 3.2L 6 cyl more viable and popular.
Cool car !
This was some professional's "dream car" when new. And, it is hard to imagine needing anything more than this car offers, even today. I love this generation S-class.
I also love that there are no cheap looking tft displays, nor i pad looking junk tacked to the dash. Real gauges, no picture crap!
thank you very much for a wonderful presentation.
I enjoyed it very much.
I always preferred the W126. The W140 was more competent but less enjoyable.
For me, W126 was the last model to give a sense of occasion - every drive becomes an event. I would almost say the w140 was too good.
Yes, although I’ve not driven either, in terms of ‘Mercedes’ the W126 screams elegance, wears the W140 seems a bit dumpy.
What a fab big barge! Excellent video as always
I do love my mercs having had numerous W124’s , R129, W219 , W212, R170 and R171
The most beautiful, classy car of all time!
Well it is a Sacco design, the big daddy of the 124.
Rip Bruno Sacco...
A tremendous car designer. 190e for me is his high water-mark.
@@simonhodgetts6530 Sadly in india the w201s are pretty rare. SO we have to stick with the 124s.
I'm a fan of the older mercs but having had a W221 S Class for a while not so long ago, they're a great S Class too for bargain money.
Best Driving Benz I ever owned. W140 series
I see a bit of a class war going on there. the 6. 8 or 12 Cylinder class war.
It was supposed to be the star of the 1991 Geneva Motor Show, at launch. But it was upstaged by an unexpected Bentley Continental R. Fantastic S class though.
The Bentley Turbo R and the Continental have something that a Mercedes will never have.
This big Merc is a perfect vehicle for third world dictators and their dodgy business acquaintances.
A Bentley is for a better class of rich man who has made his wealth in a slightly less dishonest manner.
@@philhawley1219 I once rented a room from an automotive engineer who told me the reason for that; going back at least as far as the 600 in the 1960s, the top of the line Mercedes were always made with the ability to take full armour plating and still work properly (which you can't do in something like a Ford Granada, for example; when they tried to armour plate a Granada the doors wouldn't even close).
If you're a dictator or anyone else with a target on their back and a price on their head, that's going to be very important to you.
@@philhawley1219the Bentley is for the man who tells the dictator what to do!
I remember there being the problem that it would not fit in the average german garage. There was also some class action in the US because customers were unhappy with the car. Great car
I had a 600SEL for 3 years. Wonderful! The only thing that annoyed me was that it only had 4 gears.
Superb Jack
My LS430 equivalent similar to MB has been the finest built car I have ever driven today. Paid 11k for lexus in 2017. Did brakes and timing belt spark plugs, (at 90k) what lexus advised, flawless car!
Bmw E38 has elegance of S 124 but 140 has presence, in my country it has name Slon on english Elephant, gratings from ex Yugoslavia state Crna Gora = Montenegro
Mate, brilliant review of a superb motor, cheers!!
Buttons and knobs! ❤
Big Body Benz 💯- picture me rolling
I was behind one of these the other day. Absolute beauty
I live in the Atlanta, GA area and W140 cars are in short supply. NO S600s available on Marketplace at all right now.
Oh the biodegradable wiring loom!! Loved the car but that loom developed a jekyll hide personality.
Don't know why anyone would drive the W140 four-door version, except if they are a chauffeur. Different story with the C140 coupés - these have a strange kind of charm.
Your audio shows how quiet it is, only hear your voice, amazing.
Love to see your take on an E38 BMW 750iL after this.